Pathway planning for use with a navigation planning and procedure system

1. A method of planning a procedure for treatment of tissue adjacent to a luminal network in a patient's body, the method comprising:

generating a three-dimensional (3D) model of the luminal network;

displaying the 3D model of the luminal network;

selecting a target location in the tissue adjacent to and outside of the luminal network as displayed on the 3D model;

identifying a point in the luminal network which is proximate to the target location;

determining an access path between the target location and the identified point in the luminal network;

calculating a risk of injury to intervening structures between the target location and the identified point in the luminal network, based on the determined access path; and

displaying the access path and the calculated risk of injury for the access path on the 3D model.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identified point in the luminal network is a first identified point in the luminal network and the access path is a first access path, and the method further comprises:

identifying a second point in the luminal network which is proximate to the target location;

determining a second access path between the second identified point in the luminal network and the target location; and

calculating a risk of injury to intervening structures between the target location and the second identified point in the luminal network, based on the determined second access path,

wherein displaying the first access path and the calculated risk of injury for the first access path on the 3D model further includes displaying the second access path and the calculated risk of injury for the second access path on the 3D model.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

determining which of the first and second access paths has a lower calculated risk of injury; and

selecting the access path which is determined to have a lower risk of injury.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising receiving a user input selecting one of the first and second access paths.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the point in the luminal network which is proximate to the target location is identified based on input received from a user.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

identifying an alternative point in the luminal network which is proximate to the target location;

determining an alternative access path between the alternative point in the luminal network and the target location; and

calculating a risk of injury to intervening structures between the target location and the alternative point in the luminal network, based on the determined alternative access path,

wherein displaying the access path and the calculated risk of injury for the access path on the 3D model further includes displaying the alternative access path and the calculated risk of injury for the alternative access path on the 3D model.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a user input selecting a point on the target location as an end point for the access path,

wherein the access path is determined between the identified point in the luminal network and the point on the target location.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

identifying an alternative point on the target location as an alternative end point for the access path;

determining an alternative access path between the identified point in the luminal network and the alternative point on the target location; and

calculating a risk of injury to intervening structures between the identified point in the luminal network and the alternative point on the target location, based on the determined alternative access path,

wherein displaying the access path and the calculated risk of injury for the access path on the 3D model further includes displaying alternative access path and the calculated risk of injury for the alternative access path on the 3D model.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing an alert if the calculated risk of injury is more than a predetermined threshold.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the access path is represented by a straight line.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the luminal network is one of a bronchial network, a vascular network, a lymphatic network, or a gastrointestinal network.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the intervening structures are one or more of an airway wall, nerves, vascular lumens, vascular structures, lymphatic lumens, and lymphatic structures.

13. A navigation planning and procedure system comprising:

a display device;

at least one processor in communication with the display; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

generate a three-dimensional (3D) model of a luminal network;

cause the display device to display the 3D model of the luminal network;

select a target location in tissue adjacent to and outside of the luminal network as displayed on the 3D model;

identify a point in the luminal network which is proximate to the target location;

determine an access path between the target location and the identified point in the luminal network;

calculate a risk of injury to intervening structures between the target location the point in the luminal network which is proximate to the target location, based on the determined access path; and

cause the display device to display the access path and the calculated risk of injury for the access path on the 3D model.

14. The navigation planning and procedure system of claim 13 , wherein the identified point in the luminal network is a first identified point in the luminal network and the access path is a first access path, and wherein the memory further stores instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

identify a second point in the luminal network which is proximate to the target location;

determine a second access path between the second identified point in the luminal network and the target location; and

calculate a risk of injury to intervening structures between the target location and the second identified point in the luminal, based on the determined second access path,

wherein displaying the first access path and the calculated risk of injury for the first access path on the 3D model further includes displaying the second access path and the calculated risk of injury for the second access path on the 3D model.

15. The navigation planning and procedure system of claim 14 , wherein the memory further stores instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

determine which of the first and second access paths has a lower calculated risk of injury; and

select the access path which is determined to have a lower risk of injury.

16. The navigation planning and procedure system of claim 13 , wherein the point in the luminal network which is proximate to the target location is identified based on input received from a user.

17. The navigation planning and procedure system of claim 16 , wherein the memory further stores instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

identify an alternative point in the luminal network which is proximate to the target location;

determine an alternative access path between the alternative point in the luminal network and the target location; and

calculate a risk of injury to intervening structures between the target location and the alternative point in the luminal network, based on the determined alternative access path,

wherein displaying the access path and the calculated risk of injury for the access path on the 3D model further includes displaying the alternative access path and the calculated risk of injury for the alternative access path on the 3D model.

18. The navigation planning and procedure system of claim 13 , wherein the memory further stores instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to receive a user input selecting a point on the target location as an end point for the access path,

wherein the access path is determined between the identified point in the luminal network and the point on the target location.

19. The navigation planning and procedure system of claim 13 , wherein the memory further stores instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

identify an alternative point on the target location as an alternative end point for the access path;

determine an alternative access path between the identified point in the luminal network and the alternative point on the target location; and

calculate a risk of injury to intervening structures between the identified point in the luminal network and the alternative point on the target location, based on the determined alternative access path,

wherein displaying the access path and the calculated risk of injury for the access path on the 3D model further includes displaying alternative access path and the calculated risk of injury for the alternative access path on the 3D model.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause a computer to:

generate a three-dimensional (3) model of a luminal network;

cause a display device to display the 3D model of the luminal network;

select a target location in tissue adjacent to and outside of the luminal network as displayed on the 3D model;

identify a point in the luminal network which is proximate to the target location;

determine an access path between the target location and the identified point in the luminal network;

calculate a risk of injury to intervening structures between the target location and the identified point in the luminal network, based on the determined access path; and

cause a display device to display the access path and the calculated risk of injury for the access path on the 3D model.